Organizations need to think holistically when they’re designing and managing customer service.
ITIL® defines four dimensions that together are essential for delivering value to customers and other stakeholder groups. They are:
- Information and Technology
- Organizations and People
- Value Streams and Processes
- Partners and Suppliers
Information and Technology
According to a popular motto, “information is the new gold”. Information has come to be seen as the lifeblood of most organizations, particularly those which rely heavily on technology for their day-to-day operations. Organizations are now facing up to the fact that they must manage the lifecycles of information from creation, through access, use, modification, and disposal to maximize its value in delivering technology solutions, while effectively handling the associated risks and responsibilities.
Technology has played an important part in how we manage our business today. Social media, collaboration tools, cloud computing, mobile devices, and analytics have enabled us to create better ways of working together. We can collaborate across countries, share knowledge and information instantly, and provide customers with the best possible experience.
Organizations & People
Without human beings, organizations would not be able to function. Even though they may use machines and technologies, humans are still necessary for them to operate.
An organizational culture of blame may prevent effective practices such as identifying and managing issues earlier on in their lifecycle. Therefore, organizations should be aware of their current cultural context, assess where they stand relative to their vision and mission, and then act accordingly.
Value Streams & Processes
This dimension is focused on how the different parts of the organization work together to create value for customers. This is an important aspect of any project because it helps define the activities, workflows, and controls required to achieve agreed objectives. What matters in service delivery is that an organization establishes a working system for managing its product and service offerings.
Partners & Suppliers
No single company can provide an end-to-end solution for managing the complete lifecycle of services. Partners and suppliers are essential, and the success of any enterprise depends on how effectively they work together. A broadband provider, for instance, is a crucial partner for any online retailer.
The relationships between organizations and their partners and/or customers can be viewed differently depending upon how much influence each party has on the others’ success. For example, if one company provides an essential service to another company, then that company may be considered a partner. However, if the two companies work together only because they have no choice, then they are not really working together; rather, they are simply doing business. A supplier is someone who sells products or services to an organization. A customer is someone who purchases goods or services from an organization.